A brief summary of what I’m currently reading or have recently finished, why I read it, and whether I’d recommend it. Although really, it’d have to be truly terrible for me to bother writing about a book I wouldn’t recommend……
Witness (Ariel Burger) – The subtitle reveals much in this instance: “Lessons from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom”. Ariel Burger was a student of and teacher’s assistant for Elie Wiesel, a well-known Holocaust survivor, Nobel laureate, and author of a trilogy of memoirs, the most widely-read of which is Night. I’ve read Night, and it was one of the most unsettling books I’ve ever experienced. The tension between his experiences and resulting deep doubts and perhaps shocking statements about God, and what I know to be true of God, was distressing, to say the least. Witness softened that through the distance of both time and an additional person, and eased that tension. It allowed me to find touch points where I could lean in and engage further.
Good and Angry (David Powlison) – Most of us probably don’t prefer to think of ourselves as angry people. In fact, I’ve heard several people excuse their anger as “irritation”, often saying things such as “I’m not angry; people are just stupid.” I’m fairly certain that I’ve said similar things myself. However not angry of a person you think you are, or however justified you think your anger is, you’ll likely come to a different conclusion after reading this book. Powlison differentiates between God’s righteous anger, and our anger as humans, tainted by fallen motives and unholy priorities, and gently encourages us to further growth in the Lord. The subtitle is hopeful: “Redeeming Anger, Irritation, Complaining, and Bitterness”; perhaps it should also have come with a warning about conviction.
Beloved (Toni Morrison) – Based on a true story, this Pulitzer Prize winner about an escaped slave is considered one of the best pieces of fiction from the late 20th century. It’s not an easy read for sure, but it’s thought-provoking and revealing about the psychological effects of slavery, family relationships, masculinity, and pain. Read with the Bible in your other hand as a reminder that the Lord wins in the end.
Shadow Divers (Robert Kurson) – Shadow Divers is the first non-fiction book I can recall reading and being completely captivated by the true experience of someone else living a life so different from the life I lived then and anticipated to live. It may not be the actual beginning of my love for history, biography, and non-fiction in general, but it’s the first specific book in my recollection. This is a bit of a nostalgia read, and a reminder for me of how the Lord uses seemingly inconsequential things – a random book that I happened to come across on the library shelf and checked out on a complete whim – to form us. There’s far more profanity than I recalled, but the story of divers discovering a World War II German U-boat a mere 60 miles off the Atlantic coast is still a fascinating one.
So there you have it: 4 books I’m reading right now or have recently finished. If you’ve read any of these (or decide to after reading this post), drop me a note and let me know what you thought of them! And let me know what you’re reading right now too.
Wow! First post where you have me wanting to read all of your recent reads! Do you own the anger book? If so, I would love to borrow.